Irfan Lives Up To Top Billing By Winning Third Consecutive Discus Gold

Tarikh kemaskini: 22/08/2017

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) --Two times SEA Games champion Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin lived up to his top billing by winning his third consecutive gold medal from men's discus when the athletics programme kicked off at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here today, despite nursing a back injury.

Irfan, 22, winner of the discus gold at the 2013 edition in Myanmar and 2015 edition in Singapore hurled the discus to a distance of 58.36m, well below the 18-year old SEA Games record of 59.50m set by Wong Tuck Yim from Singapore, and way off his personal best of 62.55m, but was still good for the gold.

The Negeri Sembilan lad who had set the National record of 62.55m at the Austrian Top Meeting 2017 in May, had to overcome lower back pain and left ankle injury in the competition today.

"I suffered severe pain in my lower back and left ankle at the start but managed to remain focused and after applying some ointment, managed to get back my rhythm and managed to throw a distance of 58.36m," he said after the competition.

Thailand's Narong Benjaroon took the silver with a distance of 50.65m while another Malaysian Abdul Rahman Lee picked up the bronze with (44.80m).

Irfan said the win would be a big boost before the World Universities Games 2017 hosted by Taiwan.

"Tomorrow I will be flying to Taiwan, so this will serve as a good warm up since that is the my real stage. If I win a medal in Taiwan, I will be more happy than the SEA Games win," he said.